1997 GMC JIMMY Owner's Manual

Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle's instrument panel.
If Steam Is C . - g I; - ___I Your Engine
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it off and get everyone
away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before you
open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire,
You or
others could be badly burned.
Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine
is cool.
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
5-12

If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you zet the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam. the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get
a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades" in the Index.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute
or so:
2. T~11-11 on yo~~r heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you're in a traffic jam. shift to NEUTRAL (N):
otherwise, shift to the highest gear \vhile
driving -- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE ((33) or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
If you no longer have the overheat warning. you
can drive. Just
to be safe. drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn't come back on.
you can drive norrnally.
If the warning continues. pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there's still no sign of steam. push the accelerator until
the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle
speed. Bring the engine speed back
to normal idle speed
after two or three minutes. Now see
if the warning stops.
But then, if you still have the warning, rum ogtlw
eugine
c~l got el?er;\.olw out oftlw \vl~iclc. until it
cools down.
You
may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right
away.
5-13

When you decide it's safe to lift the hood. here's what
you'll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan
A CAUTION:
r
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the auxiliary
electric fan under the hood can start
up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't
do anything else until it cools down.
5-14

Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them.
If' you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine
if there is a leak. If' you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That
could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before
you drive the vehicle.
I NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't
covered by your warranty.
If there seems to be 110 leak, start the engine again. See
if the t'an speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal
down. If it doesn't. your
vehicle needs service. T~1l-11
off the engine.

How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven't found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn't at the
ADD mark, add a SO/SO mixture of d~ctrz
,twtur (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL'@
(silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant recovery tank.
(See "Engine Coolant" in the Index for more
information.
)
_s I
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix
will. Your vehicle's coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn't get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL" coolant.
NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
5-16

You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
5-17

I
& 't 'IUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and
if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
=- even a little == they can come out
at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool
if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
5-18

How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
5- 19